Conversation: 522-001
Prev: 521-016 Next: 522-002Start Date: 16-Jun-1971 9:05 AM
End Date: 16-Jun-1971 10:38 AM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Bull, Stephen B.; [Unknown person(s)]; Sanchez, Manolo; Ehrlichman, John D.;Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:01:54
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:36:19
NARA Description:
On June 16, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, unknown person(s), Manolo Sanchez, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:05 am to 10:38 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 522-001 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 522-1
Date: June 16, 1971
Time: 9:05 am - 10:38 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Alexander Butterfield.
Papers
-Promptness of arrival
H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at 9:10 am.
White House social functions
-Treatment of guests
-Robert S. Oelman of National Cash Register
-Socializing with Cabinet officer
-Karl R. Bendetsen
-Meeting with President
-Conduct of Cabinet officers
-Nathan Cummings
-Carl G. Gerstacker
-List of contacts for Cabinet officers
-Harold L. Kennedy
-Donald W. King
-Joseph Meyerhoff
-Contact with Cabinet officers
-Contact with President
-Conduct of administration officials
-Frank J. Shakespeare
-Paul W. McCracken
-Maurice H. Stans
-Congressman and Senators
-Bendetsen
-Conversation with Shakespeare
-Cabinet members role
-Secretary of the Treasury
-Secretary of Defense
-Secretary of Commerce
-Arthur F. Burns
-Need for a plan
2
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Peter G. Peterson
-Nathaniel Samuels
-John A. Scali
-Helmut (“Hal”) Sonnenfeldt
-Peterson contacts
-Cummings
-Aquaintence with Meyerhoff
-President's role
-Contact with guests
-Louis K. Eilers
-Oelman
-Dell E. Webb
-Health
-Cooper Holt
-National Silent Black Majority representative [Clay Clairborne]
-Relationship with President
-Gerstacker
-Mack Truck representative [Zenon C.R. Hansen]
-Bendetsen
-Stag dinners
-Guests contact with administration officials
-Typical evening for guests
-Circulation of guest list
-Extent of circulation
-Administration officials' contacts on plane trips
-Press
-Planning of contacts
-Benefits
-Use of Cabinet officers
-Use of White House staff
-Contact with President's supporters
-Preparation
-Contact with guests
-Need for aggressive staff members
-Elliot L. Richardson
-John S. Davies
-John E. Nidecker
-Shakespeare
-George H.W. Bush
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:10 am.
3
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
President's schedule
Bull left at an unknown time before 9:25 am.
White House social functions
-Treatment of guests
-Circulation of guest list
-Shakespeare
-Use Conv. No. 522-1 (cont.)
-Staff role
-Beginning dinners on time
-Role of women
-State dinner
-Receiving in Yellow Oval Room
-Assembling of guests
-Invitation times
-Staff role in working crowd
-Sonnenfeldt
-Scali
-Sonnenfeldt
-Henry A. Kissinger role
-Charles W. Colson role
-Peter M. Flanigan dinner
-Eilers
-Bendetsen
-Oelman of National Cash Register
-Dudley Swim
An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 9:10 am.
[Delivery of documents]
The unknown person left at an unknown time before 9:25 am.
[Signing of documents]
-Use of dinners
-Pre-dinner briefing
-Coverage of points
An unknownperson entered at an unknown time after 9:10 am.
-New York Times example
4
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
The unknown person left at an unknown time before 9:25 am.
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable] Conv. No. 522-1 (cont.)
[Duration: 17s ]
THE PRESIDENT AND ALEXANDER BUTTERFIELD LEFT AT 9:25 AM.
MANOLO SANCHEZ ENTERED AT AN UNKNOWN TIME AFTER 9:25 AM.
THE PRESIDENT RETURNED AND SANCHEZ LEFT AT AN UNKNOWN TIME BEFORE
9:56 AM.
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
**********************************************************************
-Pre-dinner briefings
-President’s staff
-John B. Connally
-Public relations
-Focus on President's effort
-International Business Machines [IBM] precedent
-President's demeanor during dinner
-Focus on dinner's purpose
-Effect of entertainment
-US Army Chorus
-Dinner attendance
-Attendance at Willy Brandt dinner
-Kissinger
-Necessity
-Sherman Adams attendance record
-Kissinger availability
-Martin J. Hillenbrand
-Staff availability
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Kissinger
-Flanigan
-George P. Shultz
-Peterson
-Herbert G. Klein
-Klein role
-Skill with people Conv. No. 522-1 (cont.)
-Staff desire for contacts
-Scali
-Staff effort at wedding
-Mr. and Mrs. Norman Chandler
-William P. Rogers role
-Dinner attendance
-Rose Mary Woods attendance
-Effort of staff
-Benefits
-Comfort of guests
-President’s experiences
-Haldeman’s observation
-French hospitality
-Contacts with Charles De Gaulle
-US compared with France
-German hospitality
-Kurt Kiesinger dinner
-British hospitality
-William B. McComber, Jr.
-William R. Codus
-McComber
Okinawa signing ceremony
-Rogers’ request
-Reading of message from President
-President's attendance
-Rogers’ role
-Japanese sensitivities
Pentagon Papers
-New York Times story
-Administration strategy
-Need for leadership
-Ramifications
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Legal questions
-Public relations questions
-General public
-Times intention
-Attack on administration
-Precedent for obtaining documents
-Lyndon B. Johnson and John F. Kennedy papers
-Importance of legal action Conv. No. 522-1 (cont.)
-Need to stop leaks
-Kissinger’s strategy
-Suspension of responsible parties
-Department undersecretaries
-Scope of strategy
-U. Alexis Johnson
-Reason for leaks
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[National Security]
[Duration: 9s ]
FRANCE
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
**********************************************************************
-Newest leak
-1972 plans for Saigon defense
-Johnson action
-War buildup
-History
-Press conference
-Perfidy of remarks
-Implication of President's actions
-Extent of Times documents
-Kennedy and Johnson
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Harry S. Truman
-Link of President to Eisenhower administration
-Inconsistent action by administration
-Johnson's action in Vietnam
-Administration strategy
-Strategy
-Exposure of Democratic involvement Conv. No. 522-1 (cont.)
-Legal questions
-Substantive questions
-Problems
-President's possible actions
-Release of data to Congressional committees
-Problems
-Violation of executive privilege
-Department of Defense [DOD]
-Need for good judgement
-Alexander M.Haig, Jr. (?)
-Declassification and release of information
-Johnson's book
-Extent of truly classified information
-Architects of strategy
-Colson
-Scali
-Ehrlichman
-Clark MacGregor
-Shultz
-William L. Safire
-Colson
-Extent of release
-Release of Kennedy material
-Haig
-Administration controlled release of material
-Methods
-Through Congress
-Focus on reasons for entering war
-Problems for continuance of war
-History of President's position
-Problems with legal action
-Standard release of classifed information
-Implications of Times action
-Secrecy in government
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Rogers
-Criticism of injunction against Times
-Eventual fallout
-George Randolph Hearst
-DOD reaction to story
-Expect of paper's "right to know " argument
-Question to administration
-Protection of current administration Conv. No. 522-1 (cont.)
-Public perception
-Secrecy in government
-Necessity
-Acceptance by population
Farm policy
-Publicity question
-John C. Whitacker role
-Personnel changes
-Comments from Congress
-Coherence of administration position
-Robert B. McCoy [?] role
-Robert R. Spitzer role in Farm Bureau
-Recognition of need
-Administration’s position with farmers
-Administration polls
-President's standing
-Need for new polls
Pentagon Papers
-Times story
-Release of papers involving Kennedy
-Benefits to the Administration
-Leak to newspaper
-Protection of government secrecy
-Informing of public
-Entry into war
-Involvement of previous administrations
-Public's right to know
-Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield threat of hearings
-Senate Foreign Relations Committee action
-Scope
-Problems
-Precedent
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Danger of opening current files
-Laos
-Colson’s theory of executive privilege
-Times action
-Public perception
-Legal action against Times
-J. William Fulbright
-Amount of documentation Conv. No. 522-1 (cont.)
-Effect on Congress
-Effect on Times
-Accusations of administration
Unknown person entered at an unknown time after 9:23 am.
Request for Ehrlichman
Unknown person left at an unknown time before 9:56 am.
Times story
-Extent of concern over story
-Administration’s responsibility
Richard T. Burres
-Proposed nomimation to the National Labor Relations Board [NLRB]
-Union opposition
-International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffers, Warehousemen, and
Helpers of America [Teamsters]
-American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations
[AFL-CIO]
Ehrlichman entered at 9:56 am.
President's contact with Kissinger
-Memo for President from earlier meeting
-Strategy regarding Mansfield's action
Times story
-Strategy meeting during the morning
-Kissinger
-Consensus
-Mansfield hearing
-White House and Congress cooperation
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Decision on scope of inquiry
-Kissinger memo
-Ronald L. Ziegler briefing
-Timing
-Spiro T. Agnew
Haldeman left at 10:00 am.
Conv. No. 522-1 (cont.)
Burres nomination
-Gerald R. Ford role
-James D. Hodgson
-Desire to see President
-Labor objections
-George Meany
-Frederic V. Malek
-Other candidates' availability
-President's role in selection
-Unnamed Ohio woman
-Robert A. Taft, Jr.
-Burres
-Qualities
-President desires
-Malek role
-Alternative list
-Qualities desired
-Response to Robert C. Byrd, Jr.
-Other candidates
-Hodgson and Shultz candidates
-Labor Department candidate
-Forthcoming meeting
-Malek and Ehrlichman’s meeting
-Malek role
-Candidate listing
Cross Florida Barge Canal
-Whitaker
-Corps of Engineers
-Drainage effort
-Contact with President
-Benefits of drainage
-Canal termination
-Link to drainage
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Commercial overtones
-Mail to President
-In favor
-In opposition
-Form
-Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce
-Corps of Engineers' opposition to "draw down"
-Rationale Conv. No. 522-1 (cont.)
-Enviromentalists contention
-Effect
-Symbolism
-Need for President's action
-Florida state cabinet action
-Effect on governor
-Probable outcome
-Governor's position
-Options
-Wait for further developments
-Rationale
-Whitaker follow up on Cabinet meeting
-Stans and Rogers C.B. Morton comments
-Delays on environmental grounds
-Results
Housing
-George W. Romney comments
-Reasons
-Black constituents
-Content
-Prior Ehrlichman and Romney meeting
-Policy decision
-Extent of Romney problems
-Position paper
-President’s previous meeting with the National Association of Real Estate Boards
[NAREB]
-"Black Jack" issue
-Press coverage
-John N. Mitchell role
-Court cases
Domestic policy
-Ehrlichman and Samuel L. Devine meeting
12
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Welfare reform
-Debate on welfare reform
-Department of Health, Education, and Welfare [HEW]
-Robert E. Patricelli role
-Dr. George Wiley role
-Patricelli comments
-Administration position
-Money use Conv. No. 522-1 (cont.)
-Residency requirement
-Elliot L. Richardson role
-Difference in House and Senate
-Ehrlichman and Devine meeting
-Backup position
-Experimentation
-Rochester speech
-Need for welfare remarks
-Devotion to foreign policy
-Need for domestic remarks
-Press and public perception
-Foreign versus domestic issues
-Benefits
-Welfare
-Revenue sharing
-Drug remarks
-Housing remarks
-Timing of welfare action
-Press coverage
-Focus on negatives
-President's use of domestic briefings
-Ehrlichman’s debates with the press
-Rochester speech
-Drugs
-Action on drug front
-Dr. Jerome H. Jaffe television appearance on Columbia
Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Effect
-Environment
-Drugs
-Welfare reform
-Problems
-Drugs focus
-Benefit to President
13
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Press coverage
-Revenue sharing
-Rochester speech
-Urban problems
-Connally attendance
-Drug remarks
-Welfare
-Revenue sharing Conv. No. 522-1 (cont.)
-Role of money
-Property tax
-Press coverage
-Need for comments by President
-President's ability to make issues
-Property tax
-Work as issue in welfare
-Press coverage
-President’s Williamsburg speech
-Impact of Cabinet officers compared with the President
-Past press conferences
-President's preparation
-Scope changes
-Focus sharpening
-Use of prime time
-Williamsburg speech
-Employment
-Rochester speech additions
-Revenue sharing
-Drugs
-Welfare reform
Pentagon Papers
-Administration line
-Democratic "family fight"
-Link to present policy
Rochester speech topics
-Pentagon Papers
-Domestic issues
-Speech to doctors on drugs
-Melvin R. Laird choice of Dr. R. Stanford Wilbur for Assistant Secretary
position
-Wilbur's background
14
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Announcement in American Medical Association [AMA] speech
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Pentagon Papers
-Legal case
-US involvement in war
-Publication of classified information
-Substance of papers versus publication
-Impact of publication Conv. No. 522-1 (cont.)
-Effects
-Precedent set
-Possibility of the purchase of classified information
-Criticism of administration action
-Effects
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Pandora's box involving executive privilege
-Rogers
-Publication of old information
-Relation to Pearl Harbor publication
-Impact on secret Paris negotiations
-Impact on any secret negotiations
-Taiwan
-Soviet Union
-Berlin
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Irrelevance of old information argument
-John A. McCone
-Freedom of Presidential advisers
-Benefits to President
-Impact of early disclosure
-Rogers and Laird
-Advise to the President
-Contact of advisers with press
-National Security Council [NSC]
-Effect on discussions
-Richard M. Helms
-Need for administration coordination
-Scali
-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
-Safire
-Price
-Colson
15
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
Farm policy
-President’s previous conversation with Haldeman
-Need for new leadership
-Whitaker effort
-Congressional comments
-Alternatives
-Donald A. Paarlberg Conv. No. 522-1 (cont.)
-Earl L. Butz
-Need for "title"
-PRC grain shipment
-Democrat role
-Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-War issue effect
-Polls
-Haldeman’s comments
-War issue and farm policy impact
-Butz role
-Need for public relations consciousness
-Radio spot
-Whitaker
-Expertise
-Shortcomings
-Bryce N. Harlow, Clifford M. Hardin, J. Philip Campbell and Connally meeting
-Murray Spitzer credentials
-Press coverage
Rochester speech
-Coverage of domestic issues
-Birmingham speech
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 35s ]
16
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
******************************************************************************
Ehrlichman left at 10:38 am.
Conv. No. 522-1 (cont.)